Increased motor vehicle fuel efficiency is a long-standing objective of automobile designers and producers. Various approaches to increasing fuel efficiency have been taken including improving vehicle aerodynamics, reducing vehicle weight and improving vehicle operating efficiency. This latter approach includes devoting greater attention to drive train engineering. It also includes focusing on the vast array of peripheral devices provided with the modern automobile to improve driver and passenger comfort and looking for ways to increase efficiency in the design, use and operation of such peripheral devices.
In the conventional motor vehicle, the climate control heating and cooling systems depend on the engine being on for a certain amount of time (ON time) in order to provide thermal comfort in the vehicle cabin. When not needed, the vehicle's engine is turned off. According to known technology, the vehicle ON and OFF times are not managed and are subject only to the random choices of the vehicle operator without consideration of fuel economy.
Accordingly, if the engine OFF time is not managed properly, the balance between optimized cabin thermal comfort and fuel economy will not be achieved. As is often the case, there is room for improvement in the art of controlling vehicle operation and control to achieve maximum passenger cabin comfort for the vehicle occupants while at the same time optimizing vehicle fuel economy.